Jimcs50
11-15-2006, 11:16 AM
ROCKETS NOTES: Van Gundy's an admirer of Bowen
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
"He's never been that way with me," Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said. "I always love the challenge. I always accept the challenge of going up against him because he is the best perimeter (defensive) player in this league. As far as him being a dirty player, I haven't seen it.
"He has really quick hands. He's very smart. He has quick feet.
"He's one of those guys, if you think you're going to sit on the wing and just iso him, he's going to stay in front of you all day. "You have to come off screens and you got to get him off your body because he's strong and he's good at using his hands and feet."
Bowen has been accused of sliding his feet under shooters, spraining ankles when they land on him.
"Bruce Bowen is a hard-playing guy," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "The specific plays, only he knows. If he says it's unintentional, who am I to question?
"Some players, any time a guy competes hard against him, the first word they use is 'dirty' because they don't want to put in as much effort into the game as the guy who competes hard. John Stockton, I always heard that, 'he's dirty.' You got the little whiners who are running for cover any time the game gets tough.
"I'm not saying it's not a foul. That's what the NBA said, that's a foul. They use a great word, 'alight.' How about 'land'? You're supposed to be able to go up and land without somebody making contact with you. It's supposed to be called a foul. On the ( Steve) Francis play, they didn't call a foul. It's on the officials."
Changing view of Yao
As much attention and praise as Yao Ming has generated for his recent play, including outscoring Shaquille O'Neal by 19 points, the largest margin ever against O'Neal, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said the media is citing Yao's improvement to cover for its past criticism of him.
"Right now, everyone's on the bandwagon, but Yao was doing a lot of this increasingly better over time," Van Gundy said. "I don't think anybody is being taken by surprise. I think, media is now trying to say how much he's improved instead of recognizing all along that he was really good. So now, some are trying to backtrack and say, 'Oh, yeah, he's really made major improvement,' trying to get themselves off the hook, instead of, 'Oh, I'm such a dope, I didn't realize how good this guy was.' "
"A lot of that is revisiting what to most NBA players has already been obvious, that Yao is very good and he works very hard and on some nights is tremendous and other nights, like any other player, isn't quite as good."
Give and take
As Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy finished his pregame media session, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich shouted his critique from down the hall.
"I'm going to fight you tonight," Van Gundy said, alluding to the verbal sparring with Knicks coach Isiah Thomas during the Spurs game on Saturday.
"Stay on your bench," Popovich shouted back.
Inside the numbers
2 — Rockets' field goals, both by Shane Battier in the final 17 minutes.
9 — of 14 3-pointers made by the Rockets through three quarters.
1 — of 9 3-pointers made by the Rockets in the fourth quarter.
41 — Spurs' points off the bench.
16 — Rockets' bench points.
One last thing
The Spurs' seven-game win streak against the Rockets is the longest current streak against the Rockets in the NBA.
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
"He's never been that way with me," Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said. "I always love the challenge. I always accept the challenge of going up against him because he is the best perimeter (defensive) player in this league. As far as him being a dirty player, I haven't seen it.
"He has really quick hands. He's very smart. He has quick feet.
"He's one of those guys, if you think you're going to sit on the wing and just iso him, he's going to stay in front of you all day. "You have to come off screens and you got to get him off your body because he's strong and he's good at using his hands and feet."
Bowen has been accused of sliding his feet under shooters, spraining ankles when they land on him.
"Bruce Bowen is a hard-playing guy," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "The specific plays, only he knows. If he says it's unintentional, who am I to question?
"Some players, any time a guy competes hard against him, the first word they use is 'dirty' because they don't want to put in as much effort into the game as the guy who competes hard. John Stockton, I always heard that, 'he's dirty.' You got the little whiners who are running for cover any time the game gets tough.
"I'm not saying it's not a foul. That's what the NBA said, that's a foul. They use a great word, 'alight.' How about 'land'? You're supposed to be able to go up and land without somebody making contact with you. It's supposed to be called a foul. On the ( Steve) Francis play, they didn't call a foul. It's on the officials."
Changing view of Yao
As much attention and praise as Yao Ming has generated for his recent play, including outscoring Shaquille O'Neal by 19 points, the largest margin ever against O'Neal, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said the media is citing Yao's improvement to cover for its past criticism of him.
"Right now, everyone's on the bandwagon, but Yao was doing a lot of this increasingly better over time," Van Gundy said. "I don't think anybody is being taken by surprise. I think, media is now trying to say how much he's improved instead of recognizing all along that he was really good. So now, some are trying to backtrack and say, 'Oh, yeah, he's really made major improvement,' trying to get themselves off the hook, instead of, 'Oh, I'm such a dope, I didn't realize how good this guy was.' "
"A lot of that is revisiting what to most NBA players has already been obvious, that Yao is very good and he works very hard and on some nights is tremendous and other nights, like any other player, isn't quite as good."
Give and take
As Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy finished his pregame media session, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich shouted his critique from down the hall.
"I'm going to fight you tonight," Van Gundy said, alluding to the verbal sparring with Knicks coach Isiah Thomas during the Spurs game on Saturday.
"Stay on your bench," Popovich shouted back.
Inside the numbers
2 — Rockets' field goals, both by Shane Battier in the final 17 minutes.
9 — of 14 3-pointers made by the Rockets through three quarters.
1 — of 9 3-pointers made by the Rockets in the fourth quarter.
41 — Spurs' points off the bench.
16 — Rockets' bench points.
One last thing
The Spurs' seven-game win streak against the Rockets is the longest current streak against the Rockets in the NBA.